United States
Florida (FL)
Central Florida
Lakeland
Things to Do in Lakeland
Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College
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Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College

See all things to do
See all things to do
Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College
4.5
520
#2 of 46 things to do in Lakeland
Architectural Buildings
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9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
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About
Daily tours available highlighting this truly unique collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture at Florida Southern College.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
520 reviews
Excellent
408
Very good
89
Average
18
Poor
4
Terrible
1
pasherry
United States1,021 contributions
Enjoyed the tour
Mar 2022 • Couples
We have visited several Frank Lloyd Wright homes and buildings in the past so we were interested in doing the tour. We reserved the basic tour on line which gives you a small discount, cost was $27/person. Florida College is not a huge campus so it was amazing that so many of the buildings were designed by Wright. We were given headsets so we could hear the guide which was great. There were 12 people on the tour. The pace was slow and we were mostly in shade as Wright built covered breezeways between many of the buildings. The only buildings we entered were the Usonian house (actually built after his death), the Pffeifer Chapel and Danforth Chapel. It was interesting to see the concrete blocks with stained glass, flat roofs, minimalist lines of the buildings. Overall the tour was good, our guide Carly was knowledgeable about the structures, it was not a tour about the man. I agree with the others in that while the campus looks beautiful, the buildings close up are eroding with cracks and crumbling concrete. Definitely a must see for Wright fans. Take water. Our tour lasted almost two hours and we are glad we did it.
Written March 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Katrina
Tampa, FL7 contributions
Great architectural history in our backyard!
Dec 2021 • Family
40minutes from Tampa and you’re at the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright’s built work in one location! Took our young kids (6 and 3) on the basic 90-minute guided architecture tour of the buildings. (The advanced 2hr tour would have been too long for them.) The 6yo really enjoyed it, but we were pushing our luck with the youngest towards the end. We went while school was out of session so the campus was very empty and the grounds crews were the only people there expect the 7people on the tour.

The plus with kids is that there’s plenty of outdoor walking and a restroom stop about half way through the tour. The main breezeway or Esplanade as FLW called it, has a very low ceiling height so the kids enjoyed trying to jump high enough to reach it! (It’s the simple things…)

Our tour guide was Jack who was very knowledgeable and professional. He had history and stories to share and even took questions from the kiddos.

I would recommend going to lunch afterwards in downtown Lakeland which is only a 10minutes drive from the college. The cafe on campus is only for students, not open to the public. (However, that may be because of COVID.) Still, downtown has plenty of quaint and delicious food spots from which to choose and enjoy!
Written January 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
scott r
Silver Spring, MD619 contributions
An 'institutional' FLW commission - worth seeing
Mar 2022
Knocked down a star because the in depth tour is rather expensive. You do get to go inside the various campus buildings (though 2nd floor balconies are off-limits due to absolutely silly 'safety' regs, which is a shame! because the cantilevers on main chapel would have been interesting to experience), and you get some sense of the original design, but these are not preserved structures and, as some have noted, there's a fair bit of deferred maintenance happening. The 'new' Usonian is very interesting with story of discovering the plans and subsequent construction; the remainder of the campus (the FLW section) is necessarily more institution modern - heavy on the concrete, light on the wood, with a few incongruent aluminum frame exterior doors here and there. His vision was ultimately incomplete as all FLW projects are over budget and over time; no exception here and the college just didn't have the money or arguably the need for all of it. If you are a fan, it's good to see, and on balance, getting into the library, chapel(s), round room and science building is worth the extra cost.
Written March 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Chelsea P
Orlando, FL49 contributions
Fantastic Guided Tour
Nov 2022 • Solo
I took the Basic 90-minute tour and it is one of the best guided tours I have ever taken. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and patient, the tour included interior access to some of the buildings. I learned a ton and had a wonderful time. Highly recommend the guided tour if you are in the area.
Written November 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Susan M
Bradenton, FL26 contributions
Important works in need of cleaning
Jan 2022 • Couples
Seeing Frank Lloyd Wright's largest single collection of buildings is important to appreciating his work. The buildings at Florida Southern were some of his later works and encompassed a period of 20 years prior to and following World War II. These buildings are mostly concrete, including distinctive building blocks, some of which have inset colored glass. If you have seen some of Wright's magnificent houses, you may find these constructions to be less beautiful and more institutional because they are. What is disappointing is that they are also falling into disrepair, and many areas appear shabby (peeling paint, badly done caulking, patching) and even dirty. It would be astronomically expensive to repair and renovate them, but it seems that cleaning and painting aren't out of reach. Tours are available, and the docent we had was nice but not very engaging. Pretty sure it's her paid job, though she could be a volunteer. Worth seeing because it's an important part of his work.
Written January 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
bluegoose29
Naples, FL127 contributions
Worth the time!!
Dec 2022
We were familiar with Frank Loyd Wright BUT have a deeper apprecaition of his designs after visiting the college. There are several tours offered and we took just a short one, about an hour, but it was more than enough to understand and appreciate the genius and talent of this man and his designs. Learned so much. A must if one is visiting in the Lakeland area. ( and a great gift shop as well)
Written December 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Trnet34
Thunder Bay, Canada52 contributions
Well worth a visit !!
Mar 2022 • Solo
I was very impressed by the knowledge of the tour guide and all of the things I learned about Frank Lloyd Wright. I took the 2.5 hour guided tour which could have easily been longer! The headsets were a good idea that ensured that you didn’t miss any information. The gift shop had lots of good items to purchase and the staff were friendly and informative as well! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in architecture and especially Frank Lloyd Wright.
Written April 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
SaltLifeGal
Venice, FL132 contributions
Worth the Tour!
Oct 2021
Florida Southern's Campus is a wonderful way to see an integrated collection of FLW buildings all in one location. Our tour guide, Carol, was both enthusiastic and informative about his legacy here in Lakeland. The 90 min tour packs in a lot of facts and sights, including the interiors of a Usonian home, and two chapels. It was a humid day but were kept cool on the esplanades connecting the campus, just as FLW would have wanted us to! Added to my understanding after touring Oak Park, FallingWater, and the Pope Leighey House in DC.
Written October 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
KtWhiting921
Greenville, NC157 contributions
Architecture is amazing.
Feb 2020 • Family
So unfortunately this is a bit of a gimmick. I was going to mainly get to see the house but after talking to the student center... you only go into the house to watch a 25 minute video that tells you about the house. We decided to do a self guided tour and the church that was meant to be open for observing was locked. The campus is beautiful and definitely much different architecture so I did enjoy that.
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Ausa4343
Sarasota, FL28 contributions
Fun, Fantastic, and great knowledge learned
Jul 2021
Just a fantastic afternoon. Tour, guided, was 1 1/2 hours and we learned a tremendous amount, in such a short time.

Funny but we were early for our reservation and a couple asked us if we were waiting. They said they were charged, not happy, $5 for the non guided pamphlet. They should not have been so cheap. TAKE THE TOUR! its great
Written July 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College (Lakeland) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College
Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College is open:
  • Sun - Sat 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM